Top 10 Tips and Tools for Commuters [Lifehacker Top 10]

10. Adjust Your Mirrors for Better Vision

Most people set up their car’s mirrors in a way that keeps the edge of their own car in their vision, mostly to provide a sense of perspective. This limits the amount of “blind spot” coverage provided by your mirrors. Car and Driver suggests a new alignment technique supported by the Society of Automotive Engineers that covers more angles with your side and rear view mirrors. When we first highlighted this tip, several commenters asked what’s wrong with just looking over your shoulder as you change lanes—technically, nothing. But if you’re willing to commit a little practice time to a new mirror setup, you might find yourself more in control of what’s happening as you’re speeding down the highway. (Original post)

9. Make Your Commute with Pre-Tax Money

The Frugal Dad blog suggests taking a second look for commuting discounts, including asking around your firm’s HR types to see if any discounts or even pre-tax buy-ins are offered for public transportation, parking, or other commuting costs. If you happen to live in San Francisco, commenter JeffK suggests seeing if your employer might reimburse you for your bicycle commute. Photo by 91RS. (Original post)

5. Avoid or Manage Getting Pulled Over

Nobody’s ever planning to be pulled over, but you can be prepared. Stewart Rutledge schooled us on some techniques for beating a ticket, or at least upping your chance of a smooth transaction. Car and Driver interviewed state troopers on how to behave when pulled over, and a traffic attorney from the state of very serious traffic offenses, Virginia, offered his own debunking of ticket myths. If you’ve got a lead foot or a rolling stop style, they’re all worth a read. Finally, you could try out a service like Trapster to get a heads up on common speed traps. (Original posts: Debunking myths, Trapster)

4. Manage Your Commuting Stress

Managing your commuter stress isn’t about a zen state of mind or leaving five hours early. Avoiding minor cases of road rage every time you hop in the car can be accomplished by stepping back from your drive and examining it objectively, suggests auto writer Tom Vanderbilt. Don’t change lanes in slow traffic, because it almost never matters. Make eye contact with other drivers when you can, look ahead down the road, and try to avoid a sense of personal entitlement to your lane merge, says Vanderbilt. Mixed with a good audiobook or other good use of down time, your commute might just become a lot less stressful, or even better—something you look forward to. Photo by DannyBen. (Original post)

2. Telecommute the Smart Way

If you’re able to telecommute on occasional sick days or with some regularity, you’ll still have office etiquette, politics, and logistics to deal with. Our own Gina, who’s been working over the net for more than five years, offers some tips at a Harvard Business Review post on remote email, “checking in” with video chats or teleconferences, and using smart tools to collaborate. Photo by mccun934. (Original post)

1. Save Money on Gas

Back in the summer of 2008, when automotive fuel averaged $4 a gallon, Jason wrote up a guide to the easy but verified ways of saving money on gas. Since then, gas has leveled off in price and then creeped back up, but no matter where it goes from here, spending less cash on your commute is always going to make you feel better about it. Photo by FutureAtlas.

What tips, tricks, projects, or simple tactics have made your commute better, faster, or less annoying? We’d love to hear about them, and maybe post about them, if you’d leave them in the comments.